Beer: Reviews & Ratings

I can only say good things about this beer as it has served me so well after many tastings! I have had many cans of this delightful brew from Southern Star brewing out of Conroe, TX. Pours a hazy yellow/orange, smells deliciously sweet and drinks the same. Drinkability is extremely high as I could have one of these daily! Light on the hops and malts are balanced very well with the sweetness of this brew. Truly a delight! (424 characters)

T - Subtle and incredibly delicous. Biscuits! YEAST! Bread! BEER! Water! Almost savory. Not too sweet, just a hint of citrus and honey. Yeasty like unfiltered hefeweizen but with none of the typical hefe banana/pear/clove flavors (which I personally dislike). Just enough hop bitterness to complete the flavor. Very clean finish. Incredibly refreshing. Devotees of extreme beer should look elsewhere, but thirsty folks looking for a delicious brew to drink any time at all should snap this up on sight.

M - More body than your average beer with such a gentle flavor, for sure. The sediment adds a creamy thickness, and there's just the right amount of carbonation.

D - Goes down like water, if water was much, much more delicious. The definition of a session beer. Not too much carbonation, so it won't make you all bloated and belchy. And the mild, tasty flavor combined with clean finish means that every sip just leaves me wanting another.

I love this beer, and it's one that beeradvocate has the right idea about. Many times, I think that the BA reviewers are blind to the charms of beers with a milder flavor, but apparently this one bridges the gap. Positively delightful, and an incredible bargain to boot. (1,580 characters)

I have Southern Star beers on tap all the time and don't really get a chance to review them as it may be "Big Ass Beer" night at Molly's in the Woodlands or something and I will have had plenty...with no palate left for reviewing. I finally have some of the Blonde that I bought for friends to hopefully "convert" them. Anyway, on to the review...

Appearance: Pours a slightly cloudy yellow color with a slight orangish hue to it. There was a 1/4" head of loose bubbles right after the pour, and after about 30 seconds that mutated into about a 1/2" thick creamy looking head...nice. There are plenty of bubbles rising to keep the head thick even a few minutes after the pour it was still as thick as ever.

Aroma: I initially get a fresh hop bouquet with a pronounced bready malt background. These aromas are very distinct and separate. After the beer sits, the malt gets quite a bit more bready and takes on a wheat-beer like quality. As it sits further, there is a honey malt coming out to play with the other aromatics that are still present.

Taste: The flavor follows the aroma pretty closely with the fresh floral hops and the bready malt. The beer is significantly creamier than any other examples of this style that I have had, and this is quite pleasant. The carbonation is a little on the high side, but this does the beer well in the drinkability category as it slips across the palate rather quickly and ends up being a very quick one to go down. The finish is clean and refreshing with no alcohol noticeable. The creaminess and the carbonation carry the beer into the finish rather quickly. There is only enough bittering hops to keep the beer from being sweet, but the malt in the dominant player in the finish.

Opinion: I might be jaded as this brewery is just minutes from my house, so I am getting the beer as fresh as it can be. This is a session beer, and I think that it is a very good example of the style. I like the complexity to the malt on the palate and the fact that the hops are noticeable, but play a supporting role in the finish. All this combines into what I would call one of the best examples of this style. I would definitely recommend it! (2,177 characters)

Good looking package with a bright teal can and blonde cowgirl riding a bomb. Pours a hazy dark gold color with a light cream colored head that does not stay around long but does leave some nice lacing behind.

Smell is wonderfully malty with just a touch of earthy hop aroma. It has a sweet nose with emphasis on candy corns, 3 musketeers and caramel that has been sitting in some moist dirt for a few days.

Taste is very unique and tasty. It has plenty of husky, grainy maltiness and a noticeable hop presence. Sweet toffee and caramel flavors are followed up by a mild bitter finish. The mouthfeel is full and creamy with no lack of flavor power. This blows away all other blonde ales I have had, which to me is a fairly weak style to begin with. I've already gone through 2 sixers and will be buying many more as it will make a fantastic summer beer. Love it. (864 characters)

Poured from the can a hazy orange color, making the "Clarity is overrated" claim from the can spot-on. More lasting head than I've ever seen from a blond ale, and it even leaves some lacing. Smell is particularly malty and bold for the style, almost like a brown ale; sweet, caramely, and delicious. Taste is loaded with malty, bready goodness, and I taste a bit of apricot and orange fruit in the finish. Mouthfeel is thick and chewy, also unique in a blond, and leaves my mouth a bit sticky. In comparison to other blonds I've had, Bombshell is imperial-like in appearance, smell, taste, and mouthfeel, but at 5% ABV, drinkability is excellent. Such a great beer at a very low price... and in cans! (700 characters)

The taste is following the nose almost to the T with a little something extra that I think tastes like Nilla Wafers or a freshbaked cupcake with no icing. Its blowing up my taste buds and makes me happy that I have 5 more in the fridge. Has great depth and is VERY refreshing.

Mouthfeel is creamy and light to medium bodied. Crisp and clean with the perfect amount of carbonation to go with the body. Gives a very subtle drying after taste.

This blonde does it all without doing too much or trying to hard. Very refreshing and has a lot of depth to it. I cant wait to put a six pack in my cooler and go play a round of golf or go to the lake. Its a home run of a blonde for sure (972 characters)

Hazy golden pour. White rocky head that fades into a thin lace. Smells of sweet pale malt. Faintly lemony, some floral smelling hops as well. Very inviting. Tastes of sweet malt tempered by a fair amount of bitter hops. Slightly bready, maybe even a little caramel. Grassy, floral hops make the beer fairly complex for the style. Medium amount of carbonation. The beer packs in a lot of flavor that you wouldn't expect from the style. Drinks very easy. (452 characters)

My original CAN review was lost recently so I feel fortunate to have another CAN in my inventory to re-review.

From the CAN: "Bombshell Blonde is brewed with American Pale and German Vienna malts that combine to give this ale its distinctive smooth, creamy body. Just enough hops are added to this rich golden-colored ale to perfectly balance its bready finish. It is non-filtered, non-pasteurized; no additives or preservatives are ever added to take away from its delicate taste. Whether enjoyed on the golf course, on the beach, or simply sitting at home, one sip from this bombshell will blow you away. Clarity is overrated. Break the circle - cut the plastic rings." The blonde riding the bombshell is reminiscent of Slim Pickens at the finale of "Dr. Strangelove". Ha!

Upon cracking open the CAN, head began to foam up, as though it could not wait to escape. Pretty dang full CAN as it turns out. My aggressive pour resulted in a foamy, soapy two fingers of ecru head with good retention. The color was a really cloudy, extra-hazy honey-golden shade. Nose was an interesting mix of grassy hops and biscuity/bready malt. Mouthfeel was somewhat full, almost creamy with that same grassy/bready admixture of flavors on the tongue that I noted on the nose. Wild! The finish gave way to the bready/biscuity flavor which was just fine. Man, I really liked this beer and could definitely see it filling my cooler in the summer. (1,428 characters)

Being from Houston, I am proud of the Texas craft brews we get, Shiner, Saint Arnold, Roar. All make serviceable brews, and in one instance, Saint Arnold Christmas ale, even exceptional. A recent discovery of mine is from Conroe and it is Southern Star. I am a big fan of the Pine Belt pale ale and just this weekend picked up the Bombshell Blonde ale.

A- First off the can is awesome, the artwork is simply great. The beer pours cloudy and is the color of hay, thin head and some lacing are left on the glass. You can tell this is un-filtered.

S- Smells bready and malty. Some spice and fruit come through as well.

T- This is the best part of this beer, it has a smooth taste, not too strong, not too light. A bready malty taste with some fruit, a little hop after bite. A really good summer beer, this hits the spot after some yard work in this humid area.

M- Very smooth again. It does not leave much aftertaste, some dryness is left, overall it is nice.

D- I could have several of these, very easy to drink, low ABV, but very flavorful.

Overall this is a great offering from Texas, anyone who enjoys Blondes should like this. I know it is slowly being distributed to other states, if you can not get this, drop me a line maybe we can trade! (1,252 characters)

A: Pours a cloudy golden/yellow color. A small white head forms with good lace down the glass.S: A sweet malty aroma. Kind of nondescript but enjoyable.T: Fruity and sweet malt. Orange and lemon flavors. Not very complex, but it hits the spot. A slight hop twang as the flavor lingers.M/D: A medium body that is perfectly carbonated for my tastes. Very creamy and smooth to drink. An easy choice for a session beer.

I had this at the Oktoberfest party. This and Real Ale are the two standards for the style IMO. Easy to drink, a good flavor, and not too heavy. Hard to beat on a hot day, or anytime. (603 characters)

Cloudy, darker than a blond but lighter than an amber. It appears golden with a tinge of red. It produces a very small head, but it's dense enough to produce a nice lace. There's no noticeable carbonation. I get faint hints of cherry in the aroma. Nice balance between the malt, hops, and alcohol. A thicker mouthfeel than you would expect, a bit on the chewy side. Finish is also well balanced, with both sweet and bitter notes. (429 characters)

S: Lot of honey on the nose, some nuttiness, buttered toast aromas, caramel. After a few deep sniffs there's some earthiness there, like today's grass clippings mixed with mud.

T: The malt is definitely the highlight here. Lots of honey, biscuit like flavors. Reminds me a lot of Fat Tire. Some citrus lingers in the background with some moderate grassy hops keeping the sweetness in check. Complex for a blonde ale!

M/D: This beer is a huge surprise. I was expecting something like Fireman's #4 which is a simple & drinkable ale, but this beer is way more complex tasting. The mouthfeel is the very definition of 'creamy' and begs for more sips. (885 characters)

Pours a golden orange with a nice, one-finger white head. The beer is slightly hazy. The aroma is wheat, lemon, malt and some honey. The flavor is very nice, with some citrus and honey and biscuit malt. I also get a little caramel characteristic in the flavor. The mouthfeel is medium and very creamy. Medium carbonation. A great blonde ale and it is nice to see a brewery actually try and pack flavor into a beer of this style, instead of just brewing a watered-down beer, calling it a blonde ale and targeting BMC drinkers. (525 characters)

This beer pours a murky golden color, more on the yellowy side with a pretty low amount of foamy white head. Not too much lacing going on.

On the nose I can pick up on bready malts and some kind of sweet smell that I can't really pinpoint. Hops are not very detectable, which surprises me. Not an extremely aromatic brew, but smells nice nonetheless.

Flavor wise its alot more of the same, almost no hop bitterness at all, which I really like. It has a subtle sweetness to it that caught me off guard.

This beer is extremely easy to down, leaves a very nice aftertaste and is nice and smooth. (661 characters)

Serve it cold. I repeat, serve it cold. There is something terrific about this beer in a can served ice cold on a hot summer day. Granted, a lot of low quality beers taste pretty decent if you really get them cold. But this beer is different and doesn't fall within that category. It has some body, texture, and a satisfying breadiness.

I've had it served on draft at many bars and they routinely don't get the temperature correct and it just doesn't taste right to me. (471 characters)

Pours a pleasant apricot color with a thick white head that leaves some lacing. There are lots of little floaters suspended in it, and there are striations of color toward the top, with a distinct pale, cloudy band just below the head. It's not a pristine appearance, but a very interesting one. The smell is mild but pleasant, with notes of stone fruit, biscuit, tangy yeast, and minerals. The taste is again nothing too assertive, but is quite delicious: apricot, wheat bread, chewy yeast, some faint piny notes in the finish. It's a little like some Belgian pale ales -- reminds me a little of Taras Boulba. It's highly carbonated, which is perfect for its rather thick body. It's too complex and meaty for a lawnmower beer, but I could see putting away a good few of these in a sitting. Glad I found this on my visit to Victoria, TX -- too bad it's not in every store in town. (880 characters)

Poured from a 12 oz can and split with a friend. Dark golden/bronze color, pretty dark for a blonde, a little odd. Nice foamy off white head.The smell was surprising, and very nice. Honey, hazelnut, and toast, very pleasant and a little sweet smelling. The taste follows suit with the same notes, delicious honey, hazelnut, and toast, moderately sweet but not cloying. Nice texture too, a little thick and creamy but still quite light, compliments the tastes nicely. Very drinkable, finished mine quick. I wish this was on draft somewhere around here, it would be a great one to have a pint or two of while hanging out.Overall very tasty. A little odd for the style but I like that it has character. (702 characters)

Received as an extra in a trade with screach. Thanks for the chance to try another craft beer in a can, and another Texas brew.

Appearance- Poured pretty aggressively into a pint glass, Bombshell Blonde produces a very sexy, 2-finger cream colored head that stuck around for quite awhile before settling into a comfortable 1/2 finger of creaminess a top the body. Beautiful lace left behind, especially on the second half of the glass. The body itself is a full, dirty blonde hue. A very good looking beer.

Smell- The sweet aroma of the Vienna/American malts are quite pleasing. There's also slight citrus notes resting on top of some biscuit aroma. Not very overpowering, but a nice combination nonetheless.

Taste- Pretty straight forward biscuity goodness with a kiss of floral hops and nuttiness. Not very complex, and I don't really want it to be. It quenches my thirst and is malt forward in the right way. It almost reminds me of a blonde take on a nut brown ale.

MF- Much creamier than I'd expect from a blonde ale, but that is a good thing. Nice middle ground carbonation, and finishes slightly dry.

Drinkability- Not my favorite style, but I'll be damned if I couldn't drink a lot of this on a hot day, or even right now sitting in a 68 degree house. It doesn't taste or smell as good as a kickass IPA or RIS, but that shouldn't be what it's held up against. It's a blonde ale, and I can't think of another beer of the same style that I'd rather have. Great job Southern Star. (1,494 characters)

Had this at the brewery in Conroe. Had a real good time. Great place and great people. Good food, too. Anyway...

A - Poured into a Southern Star pint glass, it exhibited a thick, welcoming head that hung around for a short while. Close behind it was a trace of lacing following it along the glass.

S - This 'bombshell' blonde ale prepares you for its finer qualities with an aroma of malts paired along side with an understated scent of warm bread. Towards the end you will find a note of citrus as it drifts by and entices you to bring it to your lips.

T - The warm, soft bread and American malts come first and gently fill your palate with a gentle suggestion of fruit trailing close behind. As it recedes it leaves behind a slight hop aftertaste that gives you one more thing to love as you set it down.

M - The feel of this ale gently but firmly filling your mouth with its bold character is one of its many great qualities. With a somewhat creamy introduction, its very slight carbonation is smooth and thoroughly enjoyable.

D - It does a good job of leaving you wanting more. It goes down smooth and after lowering the glass to the table, you already begin to miss it.

Overall, only the words "thoroughly enjoyable" could summarize this beer. Nothing too much to criticize. (1,285 characters)